BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP, MI — Buena Vista Township leaders are working on contract details to make the interim manager their permanent hire.

Meanwhile, two township board members say Dexter Mitchell, who is the Parks and Recreation director and has served in an interim manager role for 15 months, is getting the job in violation of protocol.

Dillard said she believes township officials skipped or ignored several steps in deciding to negotiate with Mitchell. Dillard, who was elected in November 2012, said she disagreed with the way the agenda item was introduced at the meeting.

“Procedures for new (hires) are supposed to come from the personnel committee,” Dillard said. “We had not seen a job description, no candidates, no numbers, no nothing. Just a motion to negotiate a contract with (Mitchell). Once it was seconded we had to vote on it.”

Plakto said she also did not agree with the decision or the way it was presented. Platko said she believes the personnel committee, made up of Supervisor Dwayne Parker and Trustees Greg Carter and Cedric Townsel, knew McKinney's intentions beforehand.

“Parker’s supervisor’s report said the personnel committee were going to meet on the third or fourth of September and put together a manager’s search,” Platko said. “But then after he gave his report, Mr. McKinney suggested the motion. My question is, why didn’t he say something while Parker was giving his report?”

Parker said he doesn’t understand the objection, especially if the move will save the township money that would otherwise be spent on a candidate search.

“He is already here, and it could save money,” Parker said.

Parker said he believes McKinney was thinking more about saving the township money at than wasting it hiring a firm to look for a new one.

MLive/The Saginaw News has not been able to reach McKinney and Mitchell for comment.

“McKinney said, ‘We got a guy who has been doing this for all of 15 months, why would we waste money on a search?’ That’s when he said he would like to make a motion,” Parker said. “When he was trying to put the motion on the floor, Dillard and Platko kept trying to stop it saying he could not do it.”

Parker said board members are within the Robert’s Rules of Order guidelines to put an item on the agenda.

“Any board member, including Dillard and Platko, can bring an agenda to the table,” he said. “The motion can be made by any board member, written or unwritten.”

Parker said nine items were added to the meeting agenda, including five that Platko added. He questioned why this one addition upset Platko and Dillard when others were added as well.

Platko said she believes it could have been handled differently.

“All members were there, so I guess maybe it was fair, but it was just sneaky,” Platko said. “Besides, this man has an investigation for extortion hanging over his head. Why would we offer him a job?”

Platko said she filed a complaint with the Michigan State Police in April to investigate Mitchell on an accusation of extortion. Platko alleges that Mitchell tried to extort her at an April 22 board meeting by threatening to play his recording of Platko using a racial slur to describe Parker.

“I don’t expect anyone to condone what I said, but I also don’t condone anyone taking something that I said in my home and broadcasting it to the world,” Platko said. “They thought they were going to use it to make me step down from my job? That’s extortion, and I’m going to push it.”

Parker said the vote to begin talks with Mitchell speaks for itself, and it doesn’t mean Mitchell will accept what is offered.

“If I wasn’t comfortable with Dexter, I would have voted no,” Parker said. “The board voted 5-2 in favor.

“Making Mitchell an offer is contingent on a benefits and salary package. If he isn’t comfortable with it, then we will just have to move forward with the search.”

Mitchell will retain his parks and recreations position if he declines the offer. His current salary includes a stipend for serving as interim manager, Parker said.

Platko said she believes there may be a backdoor deal in the works to pay Mitchell more than the township can afford.

“I guess it depends on what they offer him,” Platko said.

“He is not going to accept this job for less than the $91,000 he has been making for the past year, and we probably can’t afford to pay him more than ($65,000) or $70,000. He is not going to take a cut like that. So I want to know, what was the motive?”